Victor gives short shrift to new ideas behind the current low-carbohydrate diets, and ignores the weight of evidence suggesting that very low-fat diets only work temporarily. Indeed, his diet is low-fat, low-carbohydrate, low-protein and VERY low-taste, in the gastronomic sense!

However, the worst aspect of the book is the author's irritating inability to write a single page without mentioning "My good friend, celebrity so-and-so". Victor is a literary agent and no doubt his celebrity clients owe him some favours, but what a sensible woman like Nigella Lawson is doing writing the foreword, I can't think. Indeed, from her somewhat ambiguous tone I don't think she could, either!

You will learn nothing new from this book. It's attractively produced and easy to read with the odd good recipe. Ed Victor calls it the "way to lose weight without changing your lifestyle" but don't believe it unless your lifestyle includes Summer in the Hamptons and star-studded literary bashes at the River Cafe!


Straight talking advice for obvious results!   December 4, 2001
 38 out of 46 found this review helpful

I bought this book after seeing the author on a TV show, and being intrigued as to how a man who was voted No 2 by Tatler magazine as 'the most invited person in London...'was able to lose over 40 pounds whilst still eating out almost daily at fine restaurants. As a lover of fine food, and having had an on-off battle with my waistline for several years, here indeed is a man after my own heart.

The book is called 'The Obvious Diet' because the guidelines he espouses are, quite frankly, plainly obvious! The book tells you absolutely nothing new about how to lose weight - most people actually already know what foods to eat and what not to in order to lose weight. What it does is guide you through a process of designing and tailoring your own plan, based on what you know your personal weaknesses are - and let's face it, you are the world's best expert on you! He summarises the features of many of the popular diets on the market at the moment - whether they be the high protein-low carb or vice versa - and encourages you to select the elements that work best for you and incorprate them into your diet.

For long term success he suggests having a weekly 'Treat Meal', as well as a weekly 'Cleansing Day', which as well as helping weight loss also acts as a detox. An added bonus is that if you are a celebrity gossip junkie like myself you will love 'The Secrets of Famous People' section, with hints and tips from the author's celebrity friends, including Nigella Lawson, Anne Robinson and Michael Winner.

An excellent book that I would highly recommend to anyone needing weight loss motivation, and fed up with all the fad diet books currently on the market.